ISSN 1025-4943 Issue 36 – March 2016 BECHE-DE-MER information bulletin Inside this issue Editorial Rotational zoning systems in multi- species sea cucumber fisheries This 36th issue of the SPC Beche-de-mer Information Bulletin has 13 original S.W. Purcell et al. p. 3 articles relating to the biodiversity of sea cucumbers in various areas of Field observations of sea cucumbers the western Indo-Pacific, aspects of their biology, and methods to better in Ari Atoll, and comparison with two nearby atolls in Maldives study and rear them. F. Ducarme p. 9 We open this issue with an article from Steven Purcell and coworkers Distribution of holothurians in the on the opportunity of using rotational zoning systems to manage shallow lagoons of two marine parks of Mauritius multispecies sea cucumber fisheries. These systems are used, with mixed C. Conand et al. p. 15 results, in developed countries for single-species fisheries but have not New addition to the holothurian fauna been tested for small-scale fisheries in the Pacific Island countries and of Pakistan: Holothuria (Lessonothuria) other developing areas. verrucosa (Selenka 1867), Holothuria cinerascens (Brandt, 1835) and The four articles that follow, deal with biodiversity. The first is from Frédéric Ohshimella ehrenbergii (Selenka, 1868) Ducarme, who presents the results of a survey conducted by an International Q. Ahmed et al. p. 20 Union for Conservation of Nature mission on the coral reefs close to Ari A checklist of the holothurians of Atoll in Maldives. This study increases the number of holothurian species the far eastern seas of Russia recorded in Maldives to 28. Chantal Conand and colleagues detail the V.G. Stepanov and E.G. Panina p. 24 distribution of holothurians in the shallow lagoons of the two marine parks Discovery and identification of Stichopus of Mauritius, and compare it to previous studies. Ahmed Quratulan and herrmanni juvenile nursery sites on Heron Reef, Great Barrier Reef coworkers give some new insights into the knowledge of holothurians L. Palazzo et al. p. 36 from Pakistan. And, finally, Vadim Stepanov and Elena Panina provide a New observations of holothurian checklist of holothurians from far eastern Russia. juveniles on Réunion reefs P. Bourjon and E. Morcel p. 41 The two following articles relate to juveniles and natural nurseries. Luca Palazzo and colleagues report their discovery and identification Predation of the astropod Tonna perdix (Gastroposda: Tonnoidea) on of Stichopus herrmanni nursery sites on Heron Reef (Great Barrier Reef, holothurian Actinopyga echinites Australia); while Philippe Bourjon and Elisabeth Morcel describe (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) on 70 observations of juvenile holothurians made in 2014 and 2015 on a reef of Réunion Réunion reefs. P. Bourjon and S. Vasquez p. 45 The ninth and tenth articles detail particular aspects of holothurian biology. Philippe Bourjon and Sébastien Vasquez provide an excellent description Editor (and a link to a superb movie) of predation of the gastropod Tonna perdix Igor Eeckhaut on Actinopyga echinites. Kier Mitchel Pitogo and colleagues surveyed the Marine Biology and bioimitation 6, Av. Champ de Mars size distribution of a Holothuria scabra population during full moon and University of Mons new moon phases for four months to evaluate the intertidal population of 7000 Mons Belgium Email: [email protected] this species in the Philippines. The results suggest that lunar phases have Production an effect on the size distribution of H. scabra, which explains the larger Fisheries Information Section individuals collected by intertidal gleaners during a new moon. SPC, BP D5, 98848 Noumea Cedex New Caledonia Fax: +687 263818 The last four articles are about aquaculture methods, beche-de-mer Email: [email protected] processing, and a method for marking holothurians. Andrea Taylor www.spc.int/coastfish reports on a modification to Purcell and coworkers’ original marking Produced with financial assistance from the government of Australia, the European Union, France and the New Zealand Aid Programme. 2 SPC Beche-de-mer Information Bulletin #36 – March 2016 Effect of lunar phases in the size method, to improve efficiency and reduce the likelihood of sample distribution of Holothuria scabra on loss and cross-contamination. Steven Purcell and colleagues evaluate intertidal areas in Sarangani bay, the postharvest processing of sea cucumbers, and compare methods Philippines used by fishers and commercial processors from Fiji, Kiribati and K.M.E. Pitogo et al. p. 48 Tonga. Devarajen Vaintiligon and coworkers report on the production A modified method for processing of H. scabra in a hatchery established in Malaysia, which is the result fluorescently marked sea cucumber ossicles of a fruitful collaboration between the Malaysian government and an A. Taylor p. 54 Australian-based private company. Finally, Fidèle Rakotonjanahary and colleagues describe the results of experiments to optimise Variation in postharvest processing of sea cucumbers by fishers and juvenile growth in nursery ponds. commercial processors among three Pacific Island countries This issue also reports on new observations of juvenile black S.W. Purcell et al. p. 58 teatfish in Maldives (Michael Sweet et al.) and Actinopyga juveniles in Réunion (Bourjon and Morcel). Cathy Hair and her colleagues A sea cucumber hatchery seed production in Malaysia: From R&D observed multispecies spawning in Papua New Guinea, and Wensy to pilot scale production of sandfish Vergana and others describe the poorly known Carapus bermudensis (Holothuria scabra) that infests Isostichopus badionotus on the Colombian Caribbean coast. D. Vaitilingon et al. p. 67 Assays for optimizing Holothuria scabra The last section of this issue includes communications about juvenile’s growth during the nursery workshops and conferences that were held in 2015 and some that will phase take place in 2016. In addition, Choo Poh-Sze and colleagues give us F. Rakotonjanahary et al. p. 76 the recipe for a salad (kerabu) dish that includes raw sea cucumber Juvenile ‘black teatfish’ in Maldives (beronok) and is popularly eaten on Langkawi Island in Malaysia; M. Sweet et al. p. 82 Igor Eeckhaut and Nathan Puozzo introduce a computer program Observations of juvenile Actinopyga designed for better understanding the body plans of metazoans, echinites and Actinopyga mauritiana including holothurians; and Hal Koike reports incidents involving (Echinodermata : Holothuroidea) near possible overharvesting of sea cucumbers in Hawaii and serious the reef crest in a lagoon of Réunion Apostichopus japonicus P. Bourjon and E. Morcel p. 84 poaching in Japan. We close this 36th issue of the Bulletin with a request from Chantal Conand for information on Multi-species sea cucumber spawning illegal sea cucumber fisheries. at Limellon Island, New Ireland, Papua New Guinea Congratulations are expressed to Mélanie Demeuldre who completed C. Hair et al. p. 87 her PhD titled “Defence mechanisms in sea cucumbers: Morphology, Observations on Carapus bermudensis biochemistry and mechanics of Cuvierian tubules in two species (Carapidae) in Isostichopus badionotus (Stichopodidae) from Taganga Bay, from the genus Holothuria”. Last but not least, I want to thank our Colombia extraordinary and tireless Chantal Conand, without whom this issue W. Vergara et al. p. 90 would not have been produced. COMMUNICATIONS p. 92 Igor Eeckhaut P.S. In line with a worldwide trend to limit the impact of producing printed publications on the environment, SPC has decided to stop the production and distribution of printed copies of this and other information bulletins. The bulletins will now only be produced in digital format and remain accessible from SPC’s website at: http://www.spc.int/coastfish/en/ publications/bulletins/ beche-de-mer.html PIMRIS is a joint project of five international resources to users in the region, so as to support their organisations concerned with fisheries and marine rational development and management. PIMRIS resource development in the Pacific Islands region. activities include: the active collection, cataloguing The project is executed by the Pacific Community and archiving of technical documents, especially (SPC), the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency ephemera (‘grey literature’); evaluation, repackaging (FFA), the University of the South Pacific (USP) and dissemination of information; provision of and the Pacific Regional Environment Programme literature searches, question-and-answer services (SPREP). This bulletin is produced by SPC as part and bibliographic support; and assistance with the of its commitment to PIMRIS. The aim of PIMRIS is Pacific Islands Marine Resources development of in-country reference collections and to improve the availability of information on marine Information System databases on marine resources. SPC Beche-de-mer Information Bulletin #36 – March 2016 3 Rotational zoning systems in multi-species sea cucumber fisheries Steven W. Purcell1,*, Hampus Eriksson2,3 and Maria Byrne4 Abstract Rotational zoning systems (RZSs) have been applied as a spatial management tool for fisheries in developed countries. Fishing grounds are divided into numerous plots and assigned a cyclical periodicity for harvest. This is a distinct spatial management measure that differs from more common measures in the tropics, like periodic closures or marine protected areas. We find that biological prerequisites for rotational closures are tenuous for many tropical reef species, and they are likely